My first question after reading the Introduction to Allred Family in
America was, "Who is or was Archibald F. Bennett?" I have been a
member of the National Genealogical Society since 1993 and attend NGS
conferences as often as I can. In 1994, Archibald F. Bennett was elected to the
National Genealogy Hall of Fame, so details of his life and contributions to the
field of genealogical research was widely publicized. I hope that by sharing
what I have learned with inspire other researchers to take a closer look at what
is available today that was not available in the early 1950s when Mr. Bennett's
thesis, also called "Allred Family in America" was written. Using the
"Introduction" as a place to start, many researchers have found new
information.

Archibald F. Bennett was born 17 March 1896 and died 28 August 1965. He had a
B. A. and M.A. from the University of Utah. In 1961, he was elected a Fellow of
the American Society of Genealogists (FASG), recognizing the quality of his
written contributions to the field of genealogy. He wrote many genealogical
books, including the first genealogical textbooks, and was a much sought-after
speaker. Mr. Bennett was the editor of the Utah Genealogical and Historical
Magazine for many years and was the head librarian of what was to become the
Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah for over 30 years.

Mr. Bennett was the seventh individual to be elected to the National
Genealogy Hall of Fame and the first member of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (Mormon) to be given this honor. Among his accomplishments, he
is credited with being largely responsible for the microfilming program began by
the Church and starting the system of family history centers located throughout
the world.

The thesis written by Mr. Bennett can be found as a "stand-alone"
document at the Family History Library and was included as written as the
Introduction to Allred Family in America, compiled by Dr. Rulon C.
Allred. After the deaths of Mr. Bennett and Dr. Allred, some later family
genealogists have made the statement on several occasions that Mr. Bennett's
research didn't apply to the Allred family and notices pasted in the front on
many of the books stating that "Allred was always Allred" and some
statement that the thesis by Mr. Bennett was no longer accepted.

At this point in time, we don't know what Allred was before it was Allred. If
we ever do find out, the proper procedure would be to have someone write a
scholarly article and have it published in a reputable national genealogical
magazine, such as The American Genealogist (TAG) or The National
Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ). Because these publications demand
such high standards of evidence and proof, this is the only way to discredit a
reputable, honored genealogist. Anything else should be viewed as another theory
or someone's opinion. The notices should be removed from all copies of Allred
Family in America.

From the Congressional Record, Proceedings and Debates of the 103rd
Congress, Second Session, Archibald Fowler Bennett, was recognized on
Monday, July 18, 1994, for the contributions he made to genealogical research.
The Senate Tribute to Archibald Fowler Bennett was presented to the
President of the Senate by Mr. [Orrin] Hatch. The page from the Congressional
Record appeared in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly,
Volume 82, Number 4, December 1994, page 312.